BJP uproar, walkout over Himachal govt’s panchayat quota notification

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly on Wednesday witnessed uproar as the opposition BJP protested a Tuesday night state govt notification allowing deputy commissioners to revise the reservation roster in up to 5% of panchayats ahead of the panchayati raj institution (PRI) elections in MayThe opposition moved an adjournment motion, but it was rejected by speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania hearing arguments by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur, revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, and BJP MLA Randhir Sharma. Pathania said govt's explanation carried merit and the decision was taken in the larger interest of PRIs. The rejection triggered a walkout by BJP MLAs, who termed the notification unconstitutional and a violation of Article 243(D) as well as the state election commission norms. The opposition said delegating such powers to DCs required legislative approval. Sharma alleged that the govt's intent was to push the matter into courts, thereby delaying elections.When the day commenced earlier, BJP demanded immediate discussion on the issue, but the speaker insisted it be taken up after the question hour, leading to protests and adjournment of the assembly till 11.30am. Later, defending the decision, Negi accused the opposition of politicising the matter and said the provision was necessary to ensure fair representation in areas where demographic changes had occurred since the 2011 Census, which remains the basis for the upcoming polls.The leader of opposition emphasised that panchayats were the foundation of a democracy and elections should proceed without delay and without violating the constitutional provisions. The CM assured the govt was committed to conducting PRI elections before May 31, as mandated by the Supreme Court, and this notification aimed to ensure justice for scheduled castes and other backward classes in the absence of updated census data after 2011.BOXESTook Rs 35k cr in loans over 3 years: CMThe CM informed the house that the state govt had raised loans of Rs 35,555 crore over three years, up to Jan 31, 2026. Himachal Pradesh's total debt has reached Rs 1.01 lakh crore up to Jan 31. The state is expected to pay Rs 6,694 crore as interest in 2025-26, rising to Rs 7,272 crore in 2026-27. During the past three years, the govt has repaid Rs 26,256 crore towards loans and interest. In 2025-26 alone, Rs 10,933 crore will be spent on debt servicing. After meeting loan and interest obligations over three years, the govt was left with Rs 1.24 lakh crore for other expenditures and development needs, he said.Nod to protect Shimla's pedestrian zonesThe legislative assembly on Wednesday passed ‘The Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Amendment Bill, 2026', aimed at protecting pedestrian zones by steeply increasing private vehicle pass fees and penalties. After the governor's assent, annual pass fees for private vehicles on sealed roads will rise from the existing Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 per annum, and for restricted roads from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. Processing fees will also be increased from Rs 100 to Rs 500. Temporary one-day passes will cost Rs 1,000 for sealed roads and Rs 500 for restricted roads. Violators will face penalties of Rs 10,000 on sealed roads and Rs 5,000 on restricted roadsOther decisionsNo job policy for outsourced staff | The CM said outsourced personnel were not govt employees, and there was no plan to frame a policy on job security or long-term contracts for them. Around 13,000 such workers are engaged across departments. The state spends Rs 1,172 crore monthly on salaries of regular and contractual staff, and Rs 19 crore on outsourced workers, as per data of 2024-25. Pension payouts totalled Rs 10,536 crore per year. As per norms, outsourced workers must be paid by service provider agencies by the 7th of each month.No pension for disqualified MLAs | The CM introduced ‘The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2026' in the house, proposing that any MLA disqualified under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution will not be eligible for pension.Bill to bar criminals from panchayats | Himachal Pradesh minister Rajesh Dharmani introduced ‘The Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026' in the assembly to curb criminal entry into panchayati raj institutions. The bill proposes disqualifying individuals facing framed charges in drug-related cases from holding panchayat posts. It also tightens norms on land encroachment, financial irregularities and conflict of interest. Lift Bill to cover escalators, travelators | PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh introduced ‘The Himachal Pradesh Lifts (Amendment) Bill, 2026' in the assembly, aiming to expand the law's scope for regulation of escalators and travelators for improved public safety. The bill is scheduled to be taken up for discussion and passed on Thursday.